Dunlin - Interspecies friendship?

[Gregg Goodrich]

The Dunlin at  McLellen continues to hangout with the Killdeer. This is my third trip and each time they have been together. Is their a mutual benefit to this relationship? I would think they could both easily find food without the other. There are coyotes at the lake. See photo in checklist. Maybe 2 pair of eyes are better that one to help alert to danger.

Then there is the Brandt and the Greater White-fronted Goose that seem to always be together at the Lone Tree golf club. Certainly there are plenty of other geese to sound an alarm.

Maybe it is just a need for companionship. And since their same species is not around, they have found another species. Other examples of interspecies friendships? 

Gregg Goodrich 

Highlands Ranch 

eBird Checklist – High Line Canal Trail--McLellen Reservoir periphery, Colorado – Thu Feb 09, 2017 – 11 species http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S34260006

[Brandon]

The two times I've seen the Dunlin in Pueblo in the last few weeks, it
hasn't been feeding next to other shorebirds (though there are other
shorebirds around, like Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper).

I don't know if it still around, I haven't looked for it this week,
and no other Pueblo birders have told me, if they have looked for it,
or seen it (most of them saw it on Sunday though). I think it could
still be here. If the wind ever stops, maybe I'll go look again.


--
Brandon Percival
Pueblo West, CO

[Ben S]

I would like to say December's Wilson's Snipe and Purple Sandpiper at Dillon. However, these birds actually appeared to dislike each other. Purple Sandpiper chased Wilson's Snipe away when I was there once in late Dec. To my knowledge, Chatfield's current Trumpeter is a loner with no friends : (. 

Ben Sampson

Centennial

[Joey Kellner]

I don't think the term "friendship" (Dunlin and Killdeer) or "dislike" (Purple Sandpiper and Wilson's Snipe) apply at all.  The birds are where they are/were due to the three basic needs (food, water, shelter) being satisfied.  There was no other habitat nearby that satisfied the needs of these birds and therefore they were in close proximity to each other.  The "dislike" could just be two species competing for the same resources...the victor gets the spoils.

Joey Kellner
Littleton, Colorado

[Tom Wilberding]

Here is a link to photos of many interspecies friendships:  http://tiny.cc/bkc5iy

"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives." Euripides

Cheers,
Tom Wilberding
Littleton, CO

On Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 11:13:54 AM UTC-7, Gregg Goodrich wrote: